“It’s especially important … that we continue to amplify our messages that we are and always will be there for our allies, and that there is a way for two major powers in the U.S. and China to build a different kind of relationship for the 21st century,” a senior Obama administration official said.

And that’s the key. The U.S needs to stand strong with Japan, while also diffusing any sort of tension that may lead China to make rash and rapid decisions. Time to play mediator.